Lusitania Medal 1915, British Propaganda issue, housed in its original fitted box of issue.
Lusitania Medal 1915, British Propaganda issue, housed in its original fitted box of issue
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine, the box edges worn
Shortly after the sinking of the liner Lusitania on 5th May 1915, a commemorative medallion was struck by the Germans. Believed to have originated in Munich the medal was cast in iron and was 2.25 inches in diameter and weighed 1.5 ounces. The designer was Karl Goetz, creator of many medallions, and the initials K.G. are clearly visible on the obverse.
On the obverse, under the inscription “No contraband” (Keine Bannware), there is a representation of the Lusitania sinking. The outline of the liner has been altered to resemble a warship. The designer has also put and aeroplanes, which (as was certified by United States Government officials after inspection) the Lusitania did not carry, but has conveniently omitted to put in the women and children who were on board. On the reverse, under the inscription “Business above all” (Geschaft uber alles), a smiling skeleton at the New York booking office of the Cunard Line is depicted. A line of waiting potential passengers and victims refuse to attend to the warning against submarines, given by a German figure in the background. The figure, presumably the German Ambassador, gazes reprovingly on the whole proceedings.
There are, however, certain anomalies which have always caused considerable speculation. The arrogant manner in which the victory is proclaimed in the inscription. The liner Lusitania, sunk by German submarine 5th May, 1915, provides perhaps the most obvious example – as in actual fact the sinking occurred on 7 May. The discrepancy in date may have been a genuine error but it was interpreted as a being a clear indication that the sinking was pre-planned – and not just one of the fortunes of war. The propagandists made the most of it
Just how many of the German originals of the medal were struck is not clear but it is doubtful whether these exceeded more than a few hundred. The message they conveyed had a boomerang effect and the British authorities, in agreeing to the production of 250,000 copies to be sold in aid of St. Dunstan, saw in it a damning commentary on the ruthlessness of the German war machine. This point was emphasised in the wording on the box in which the British copies were issued. There could be no doubt about the callousness of the enemy.
Many of the British copies are readily found today. As for the German version these are rarer and more valuable. There are several small differences between the two types. The most obvious being in the spelling of the word “May” in the date. On the German version this is spelt “Mai”. It has also been suggested that there may in fact be a third type in existence, also German, on which the correct date of the sinking, 7 May, is shown. The way in which one piece of propaganda served two warring nations is ironical.
